Well, I have never been able to figure the Japanese out either! They make no sense to me. I am finding kindred spirits in Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and France* instead (there ought to be some in Africa, too, but I haven't found them yet). :->
> This is an ancient culture,
Ancient it is. But look at the writing system of Japan. One of the few things that the Japanese and Persians have in common** is that they, ancient civilizations both, with many excellent poets, didn't invent their scripts wholesale and borrowed from their bigger, more powerful neighbors instead. :->
> with an IMPERIAL history no less, that is for
> some reason seemingly content to just sit on the
> sidelines dicking around and shooting itself in the
> foot for no good reason. It's madness. It's a rich
> country, high technology, and there is no conceivable
> military threat as long as Mechagodzilla is
> operational. Arise, Nippon, arise! If Germany can get
> over the Insane Cult of WWII Guilt, you sure as hell
> can too! It's been 60 years! Upward and onward! ;)
As I mentioned in my previous posting, if there is one idea that much of the world -- even Tokyo, not just the NAM nations -- can agree on, it's that the international hierarchy enshrined in permanent membership of the UN SC, born out of WW2, has come out of sync with the real world. First, many of the world's states today weren't states yet when the UN SC was created. Second, post-WW2 economic development created economic powers that are denied political voices on the international stage commensurate with their economic standing. Third, Washington, one of the permanent members, has clearly gone bonkers, really broke but high on sulfur from its dream of oil, no doubt, so the SC needs more voices that can slow it down. Would Moscow support the UN SC expansion? If so, what shape should a new SC take in its opinion?
* How about the French upgrading its Gaullism into a decisive break with the Atlantic alliance and Europeanizing it, i.e. leading the EU nations to chuck the NATO, expell the US military bases and intelligence outposts, and develop their own European collective security arrangement?
* Iran's "new conservatives" are said to be desirous of turning their country into "Islamic Japan" (cf. <http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20060814/044074.html>)
I suppose they want a Japan minus its drinking habit and sex industry. That would be crushingly boring. Notwithstanding my profound respect for the right to self-determination, I'd strongly advise the Iranian people against it. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>